Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1887-10-28
FLORA TEMPLE,
lDunton's Spirit of the Turf.

the correspondence column of the New
York Spirit of the Times; the inquiry
was, "Was Flora Temple ever used in a
livery stable before she became famous
as a trotter?" The answer was, "No."
The Spirit of the Times certainly is
not well posted in the early history of
Flora Temple. The following letter was
received by me this morning from Erie
vile, Madison county, New York. The
writer knew personally, and | also per-
sonally knew for many years Levi j.
Richardson, who was born and lived at
Erieville for very many years, when he
went to Eaton, short distance from
Erieville, to reside. While there he pur-
chased the mare, Flora Temple, from
man by the name of Kellogg, who kept Il
hotel and livery in Eaton, and he used
her in livery.
This Levi j. Richardson was known
around Erieville and Eaton as "Little
Lee" and was generally called by that
name. The following is a copy of the
letter to which refer above:
ERIEvILLE, n. Y, Oct. 3, 1887.
MIR. NEwTowN:
Dear Sir Il guess you will think am
slow about answering your letter, but
have been waiting to get more informa-
ton about Flora Temple. There is no
question but what Levi j. Richardson
owned her. He bought her of a man by
the name of Kellogg, who kept a hotel
in Eaton. He kept livery and this mare
was used there in the livery. Dave Pease
drove her while Kellogg owned her. Lee
had not gone into the livery business
when he bought her. He was driving
cattle for Cal. Morse in those days and
rode this mare to Duchess county while
driving cattle, and sold her in Washing
ton Hollow for $1,000, This know to
be fact, and have heard Lee talk about
it great many times, and l have seen
Lee drive her here a great many times.
Y ou know his parents lived here at that
time, and he used to come home often
and drive Flora, and my father owned a
farm adjoining his fathers and 1 used to
be there often-hardly miss day; and
l was in Washington Hollow few years
ago, and heard good men talking about
this same mare, and they told it just as |
write. Yours,
A. l.. MEDBURY.
BY the above letter you will see that
Flora Tamnla vrac ownad onJ mead IL, n
livery before "Little Lee" purchased her.
This has been known to myself and to
every one around Erieville ever since the
mare became famous as trotter. |
lived in Erieville until about lS47, so that
| have no personal knowledge myself of
Flora Temple.
The pedigree of Flora has been traced
before, so that is now well established.
Elmira, n. Y. NEwTOwN."
Well, you can't expect the New York
editors 20 know it all, so don't find fault
but when you want the bottom facts,
write to Dunton's Spirit of the Turf for
them. As to Flora Temple, we took a
good deal of pains years ago to enlighten
not only the West, but the East about
her. We were personally acquainted
with Lee j. Richardson at River Falls,
Wis, and when Flora Temple died, in
1917, we wrote to Mr.. Richardson for
some facts in her history and here they
are just rs we published them January
10, lS7S.-EDITOR.
sin the fall of 1850, Wellington Velie
wrote me that he wanted me to find out
how old Flora Temple was and what her
pedigree was. | did SO and went before
Esq. Conan of Eaton, Madison county,
and made oath to the same, which can be
proven by plenty of good and true men
still living. And this is what | found :
That she was five years old, sired by
One-eyed kentucky Hunter, horse
owned at that time by the LOOMS boys
of Brookfield, notorious horse thieves.
They kept him to run from the officers
of the law, and it was said no officer
could catch them; that the horse would
take them to Canada, about $50 miles.
iiNi h'tiiCi was pdy nldic dbout III
hands high, with two bone spavins On
hind legs, owned at that time by Mr..
Hughes, who said she came from YER
mont. Hughes lived in Brookfield, Mad
ison Co., and there is where Flora Tenn
pie was born. He lived on a rented farm,
it might have been Welch's for ought |
know. The farm is five or six miles west
of Sangertield Center, which is about %
miles southwest from Utica. Hughes
thought Madam Memple was of Morgan
stock. | do not believe she was from
any spotted horse of that section. The
Kentucky Hunters were chestnut bays
with black collars, and white legs and
faces (many of them). Flora was of a
quick and nervous temperament, but was
a long strider when trotting fast. Stood
with her legs well under her. | used to
remark that she would stand the four in